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Home Family, child protection For the applicant of family allowances A brief overview of family benefits

A brief overview of family benefits

 

WHILE EXPECTING

 

MATERNITY BENEFIT / MATERNITY LEAVE  

  • At the earliest, the maternity leave can commence 70 calendar days before the estimated date of delivery (at pregnancy week 30). A gynaecologist, family physician, or midwife must issue a maternity leave certificate. The certificate is the basis for calculating the maternity benefit, paid for up to 140 calendar days immediately before and after childbirth.
    To receive the maximum amount of maternal benefit (for 140 days), the maternal leave must begin 30 calendar days before the delivery date, at the latest. When you start the maternal leave later, the benefit is decreased by the number of days that you delayed the leave by.
  • Maternity benefit is a benefit for temporary incapacity to work paid by the Health Insurance Fund. More information about it is available on the Health Insurance Fund website.
     

PATERNAL LEAVE 

From 1 July 2020 instead of the current 10 working days, the father has the opportunity to take 30 calendar days of paternity leave and to receive the parental benefit for that period. The additional benefit for fathers will also be paid to fathers who are not working. Please note the differences during the transition period! Read more.

Additional information

 

AFTER THE CHILDBIRTH

REGISTERING THE CHILD

  • The new child must be registered at the population register before the child turns one month old. With good reason, the registration period can be extended to two months.

    More detailed information about the child registration is available in the state portal section: Registration of birth and choosing a name.
     

CHILDBIRTH ALLOWANCE BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITY

  • Local governments pay childbirth allowances to newborns – either as one payment, or in several instalments. Usually, a prerequisite applies – at least one parent must have officially lived in the same municipality for at least 6 months to a year before the child is born.

    The allowance payment conditions and the allowance amount differ per municipalities. Contact your local municipality for further details.
     

NATIONAL CHILDBIRTH ALLOWANCE

CHILD ALLOWANCE

CHILD CARE ALLOWANCE

PARENTAL BENEFIT

  • The parental benefit is paid to guarantee your previous income, as it decreases due to raising children. Before the child is 70 days old, only the mother is entitled to the parental benefit. After the child is 70 days old, any of the parents can apply for the parental benefit – meaning that also the father may apply. The parental benefit is paid for a period of 435 days, or until the child is one and a half years old.
    Continue reading about parental benefit.
    You can apply at the state portal.
  • Together with the family allowances, we shall pay compensation for the parental benefit and maternity benefit gap, should your older child be under two years and six months of age, and the maternity benefit for one day is smaller than the parental benefit for one day. Read more:
     

PATERNAL LEAVE 

ALLOWANCE FOR MULTIPLE BIRTH OF THREE OR MORE CHILDREN

  • One parent, custodian, or guardian of a family raising triplets or more multiple siblings are entitled to this allowance. The 1000-euro allowance per month is paid to the family until the children reach the age of 18 months.
    This allowance is paid automatically and you do not have to file a separate application for it.
    Read more about allowance for multiple birth of three or more children here!
     

ALLOWANCE FOR A FAMILY WITH MANY CHILDREN

  • If your family has at least three children for whom you are paid child allowance, your family will also receive the allowance for a family with many children. The allowance is bigger for families with seven or more children. You do not have to file a separate application for this allowance.
    Read more about allowance for a family with many children here!
     

SUPPLEMENTARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MANDATORY FUNDED PENSION

Additional information

 

 

IF YOU RAISE THE CHILD ALONE

SINGLE PARENT CHILD ALLOWANCE

  • The single parent child allowance is paid if your child’s birth registration does not contain any data about the child’s father, or if the other parent has officially been declared a fugitive. Read more about single parent child allowance here!

MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE

SURVIVOR'S PENSION

Additional information

 

SITUATIONS AFFECTING FAMILY BENEFITS

If the child is stillborn or dies within 70 days

  • Parents will be entitled to childbirth allowance and parental benefits, if the child is stillborn or dies within 70 days. Read more

Adoption

Guardianship allowance

  • You are entitled to the guardianship allowance if you raise a child whose parents do not fulfil their obligation to raise a child and whom the court has appointed under your guardianship. Read more about guardianship allowance.

Conscript’s child allowance 

  • You are entitled to the conscript’s child allowance if you yourself, or the child’s other parent, is serving in the Estonian Defence Forces, or in alternative non-combatant service. Read on about conscript's shild allowance here.

International family

  • If you live in Estonia, but your family member lives or works in the European Economic Area or in the Swiss Confederation (EEA), European Union coordination rules apply for family benefits. More information for international families here!

Additional information

 

DIFFERENT FAMILY SITUATIONS

Disabled child support / rehabilitation of a disabled child

  • If your child has been diagnosed with a disability, we shall pay a monthly social benefit to you. If your child does not cope as well as required for their age, you can apply for a social rehabilitation service for your child. Read more about diagnosing the disability (in Estonian) and the social rehabilitation services for children ….
  • If your child has been diagnosed with a disability, you can use the child leave for parents of a disabled child, which is one workday per month. File an application for your employer to use this day. Read more …

Disabled parent

  • If you have been diagnosed with a disability and you raise the child alone, or if both you and your spouse have a disability and you raise children, you are entitled to the disabled parent’s allowance. Read more about disabled parent's allowance here (in Estonian).

Child’s parents are separated

  • If the parents separate but continue to equally participate in raising the child, they must come to an agreement as to who is the recipient of family allowances for the child.
  • NB! If the parents live apart, it is possible to pay child allowance in turn, but both parents must make a joint application to this end. If a joint application is not submitted, the parents must fill a new application for child allowance each time.
  • Read more about different family models here!

The blended family with children of several parents

  • Either you or your partner / spouse is entitled to receive family benefits for all children if your family raises, in addition to your mutual children, also children of your partner or spouse from their previous partnership. Read more about different family models here!

Additional information

 

 

ADDITIONAL DAYS OFF

Parents can use several additional vacation options:

PATERNAL LEAVE

  • If a child is expected or has already been born to the family, the father is entitled to 10 working days of paternal leave. Read more about parental leave!

CHILD LEAVE

CHILD LEAVE FOR PARENTS OF A DISABLED CHILD

COMPENSATION FOR BREASTFEEDING BREAKS

CARE LEAVE AND UNPAID CHILD LEAVE

  • Care leave is for nursing a child until the age of 12, or a disabled child until the age of 19, and for 14 continuous days. If the illness is caused by a malignant tumour and the child’s treatment starts at a hospital, the care leave is issued for up to 60 consecutive days.
    The Health Insurance Fund pays a care allowance for the care leave duration.
    Read on about care allowance.
  • Mother or father raising a child under the age of 14, or a disabled child under the age of 18, can use up to 10 unpaid days of child leave per each year. Read more in the Employment Contracts Act.

Additional information